Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases in the developed world.
Scientists are still discovering the risk factors for the disease, and unlike Type 1 diabetes, which has a genetic component, Type 2 diabetes is caused by lifestyle factors.
However, a recent study shows that a common sleep disorder may increase your risk for diabetes:
“Controlling for known risk factors for diabetes — including age, sex, weight, smoking, other medical problems and income status — patients with severe sleep apnea had a 30 percent higher risk of developing diabetes than those without sleep apnea,” said lead researcher Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska. She’s with the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation.
Sleep apnea is a disorder where your body does not get enough oxygen during the night. It’s more common with obesity, another risk factor for diabetes.
Sleep apnea is much more treatable than diabetes. There are special breathing devices which allow your body to get the oxygen it needs and improve your breathing through the night.
As the costs of managing diabetes mount, if we can invest more in treating comorbid disorders like sleep apnea, we have a better chance towards treating diabetes.
not as uncomfortable as constant pinpricks